Thrylos

So Parmelee has a scholarship? How about Tyler Robertson? He has about as much MLB experience as Parmelee does. How about Alex Burnett. He has more. Are these 2 handed jobs as well just because? And the other 2 did more at the MLB level than Parmelee. Indeed Ryan/Gardy said that Parmelee will be an outfielder (instead of a first baseman) this season. From that to him anointed the starter, is a long way. I think.

Platooning him with Parmelee might be an option at this point. I just have not bought into the Parmelee craze at this point. And I do not think that Parmelee "earned" a starting job by any means by his performance (at the MLB level) in regular season 2012 or Spring Training 2013. But he is a first round pick and the Twins never give up on those... Thanks, BTW

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- Actually I spent the day at Port Charlotte, watching the Twins beat the Rays; thus, no minor league report today other that the 5 guys (Jason Christian, Nate Hanson, Chris Colabello, Bruce Pugh and Dan Turpen - of Kevin Slowey trade fame) who made the half an hour trip up North to fill in as needed. Here are my thoughts and observations from today: I did not see it, but Scoot Diamond pitched for the AAA Twins' team against the Red Sox' AAA team down at Fort Myers and his line was: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Not too encouraging. A couple notes about the Charlotte Sports Park (the home of the FSL Charlotte Stone Crabs and the Spring Training home of the Rays.) I think that the most parks I visit, the more and more I appreciate Hammond Stadium and the whole complex as a Spring Training venue. Here is one example: The minor league fields in Port Charlotte have an entrance with a door and a guard behind it and they were locked. Also, unlike Hammond stadium, there are cloth barriers on the chain link fences, which make following the action pretty awful. One of the gems of Charlotte Sports Park (and a peak into Hammond Stadium 2014) is the wrap around deck from short left to short right field. A great place to watch the game, esp. sitting on the tables by the Twins' bullpen at Right Center Field. Really looking forward to Hammond Stadium having one of those next Spring Training. I came down here for Spring Training with an open mind about Kevin Correia (yes, I know...) and I think that I know what the Twins saw in him. When he hits the lower third of the strike zone he is actually a good pitcher; when he doesn't, he is bad. Today he pitched against what was very close to the Rays' opening day lineup and did alright. His fastball was at 89-91 (the radar there is probably alright, since Price was at 92-95, which is pretty true) and was good at the lower third, but flat and hittable at anything above that. Change and breaking ball were both effective. He pitched much better than Worley did yesterday. I can start warming up to the idea that he will be serviceable for the Twins, but he will be walking a fine line if he needs to have pinpoint control to be serviceable (and he does need that.) On another note, Correia is too slow and deliberate. Not exactly a human rain delay, but pretty close... The Twins' four relievers (Tim Wood, Glen Perkins, Alex Burnett and Casey Fien) did a fine job. Wood is an interesting character and reminds me a bit of Jim Hoey physique-wise. He has a bit deception on his movement and short-arms the ball. He hit 94 with his fastball (Perkins did too) and he got swings and misses with his breaking ball. Very energetic guy and one of the few players who still uses chewing tobacco. Interesting to see whether he makes the team and how he will fit in. Alex Burnett needed this very badly. This was his only above average appearance in Spring Training (and it came in his seventh outing.) Every thing was working for him, including his fastball that went up to 92. A very good sign, but I am not sure at this point whether it is too late for him to make the team. Dan Rohlfing and Wilkin Ramirez continued their great appearances this Spring. Rohlfing started at first base and moved to left field later in the game. I think that his versatility eventually will be valuable to the Twins, but he has to build up on what he achieved this Spring Training and translate it into a good season with the bat at AA. As far as I am concerned, Dan Rohlfing is THE story for the Twins this Spring Training because he pretty much came from nowhere. Nowhere as a career .249/.296/.313 in parts of 2 seasons in AA. Now he has to take the leap. At this point and with Darin Mastroianni having a fairly anemic day at the plate plus misplaying a fly ball, I wonder whether Wilkin Ramirez is actually battling Mastroianni for the 4th OF position and not only Drew Butera and Jeff Clement for the last spot on the 25-man roster. He has been really good this Spring, he is a good defender at the corner OF spots, has some pop, has some speed, and has played some Centerfield (albeit last time in 2011.) I think that all three starting infielders today (Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon and Eduardo Escobar) make the team, with Dozier and Florimon the starters at second and short. What you look in a double play combination is chemistry and these two seem to have it. I just hope that the Twins decide that this is the case and have them play the rest of Spring Training together so they click even better. As far as I am concerned, a cohesive middle infield is key to good defense and I hope that the Twins decide in one and let it be without taking guys in an out like they did the last few years. That would be a recipe for defensive disaster. Tomorrow the Twins are playing the Blue Jays in Hammond Stadium and will be interesting to see what a lot of people think is the team to beat in the American League in 2013. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8584354680_01097b2964_b.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8584354366_b31c3dcace_b.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- Actually I spent the day at Port Charlotte, watching the Twins beat the Rays; thus, no minor league report today other that the 5 guys (Jason Christian, Nate Hanson, Chris Colabello, Bruce Pugh and Dan Turpen - of Kevin Slowey trade fame) who made the half an hour trip up North to fill in as needed. Here are my thoughts and observations from today: I did not see it, but Scoot Diamond pitched for the AAA Twins' team against the Red Sox' AAA team down at Fort Myers and his line was: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Not too encouraging. A couple notes about the Charlotte Sports Park (the home of the FSL Charlotte Stone Crabs and the Spring Training home of the Rays.) I think that the most parks I visit, the more and more I appreciate Hammond Stadium and the whole complex as a Spring Training venue. Here is one example: The minor league fields in Port Charlotte have an entrance with a door and a guard behind it and they were locked. Also, unlike Hammond stadium, there are cloth barriers on the chain link fences, which make following the action pretty awful. One of the gems of Charlotte Sports Park (and a peak into Hammond Stadium 2014) is the wrap around deck from short left to short right field. A great place to watch the game, esp. sitting on the tables by the Twins' bullpen at Right Center Field. Really looking forward to Hammond Stadium having one of those next Spring Training. I came down here for Spring Training with an open mind about Kevin Correia (yes, I know...) and I think that I know what the Twins saw in him. When he hits the lower third of the strike zone he is actually a good pitcher; when he doesn't, he is bad. Today he pitched against what was very close to the Rays' opening day lineup and did alright. His fastball was at 89-91 (the radar there is probably alright, since Price was at 92-95, which is pretty true) and was good at the lower third, but flat and hittable at anything above that. Change and breaking ball were both effective. He pitched much better than Worley did yesterday. I can start warming up to the idea that he will be serviceable for the Twins, but he will be walking a fine line if he needs to have pinpoint control to be serviceable (and he does need that.) On another note, Correia is too slow and deliberate. Not exactly a human rain delay, but pretty close... The Twins' four relievers (Tim Wood, Glen Perkins, Alex Burnett and Casey Fien) did a fine job. Wood is an interesting character and reminds me a bit of Jim Hoey physique-wise. He has a bit deception on his movement and short-arms the ball. He hit 94 with his fastball (Perkins did too) and he got swings and misses with his breaking ball. Very energetic guy and one of the few players who still uses chewing tobacco. Interesting to see whether he makes the team and how he will fit in. Alex Burnett needed this very badly. This was his only above average appearance in Spring Training (and it came in his seventh outing.) Every thing was working for him, including his fastball that went up to 92. A very good sign, but I am not sure at this point whether it is too late for him to make the team. Dan Rohlfing and Wilkin Ramirez continued their great appearances this Spring. Rohlfing started at first base and moved to left field later in the game. I think that his versatility eventually will be valuable to the Twins, but he has to build up on what he achieved this Spring Training and translate it into a good season with the bat at AA. As far as I am concerned, Dan Rohlfing is THE story for the Twins this Spring Training because he pretty much came from nowhere. Nowhere as a career .249/.296/.313 in parts of 2 seasons in AA. Now he has to take the leap. At this point and with Darin Mastroianni having a fairly anemic day at the plate plus misplaying a fly ball, I wonder whether Wilkin Ramirez is actually battling Mastroianni for the 4th OF position and not only Drew Butera and Jeff Clement for the last spot on the 25-man roster. He has been really good this Spring, he is a good defender at the corner OF spots, has some pop, has some speed, and has played some Centerfield (albeit last time in 2011.) I think that all three starting infielders today (Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon and Eduardo Escobar) make the team, with Dozier and Florimon the starters at second and short. What you look in a double play combination is chemistry and these two seem to have it. I just hope that the Twins decide that this is the case and have them play the rest of Spring Training together so they click even better. As far as I am concerned, a cohesive middle infield is key to good defense and I hope that the Twins decide in one and let it be without taking guys in an out like they did the last few years. That would be a recipe for defensive disaster. Tomorrow the Twins are playing the Blue Jays in Hammond Stadium and will be interesting to see what a lot of people think is the team to beat in the American League in 2013. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8584354680_01097b2964_b.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8584354366_b31c3dcace_b.jpg

Kind of a moot point after tonight's announcement of Hicks being the starter.... Both of those balls were at short center. The first one he was playing deep and ran and then he stopped and the ball just fell 10 feet in front of him. I think he misjudged that. Slow high pop. No wind today btw. The second one he was playing more shallow and it was not that much of a moonshot as the first one so it got there faster but it was catchable. Maybe he was tired or hurt or something but both of those were catchable. And if they were caught, Tyler Robertson's day would looked a tad different.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- I am officially at Fort Myers, where I will be through Monday, attending Twins' games and checking on the minor leaguers. Unlike last season, when I pretty much presented a photo diary with 20+ images a day and some commentary, this season I will be doing something different: I will be presenting some of my observations and thoughts during the day on both major and minor leaguers, as well as other Spring Training-related items. Of course, I will add a few pictures on each post. I will probably make a couple of picture posts after next week, maybe as a Spring Training retrospect of sorts (since I am taking a ton of pictures this season.) Today the Twins hosted the Yankees at Hammond Stadium and the AAA team hosted the Red Sox' AAA team on field number 1. Here are my daily thoughts and observations: Happy to be part of the biggest home Spring Training crowd ever for the Twins: a record 8366 people attended the game at Hammond Stadium and it showed it. Standing room only and even that was sold out before the game. Speaking of Hammond Stadium, some pretty interesting additions to the ballpark menu include deep fried cheese curds and calamari fingers (both of them at the "party deck" area at short right field.) For what is worth: Alex Meyer, Evan Bigley and Oswaldo Arcia were practicing with the Rochester group this morning. Speaking of Rochester, I was not really impressed with 3 of the pitching newcomers: Elarton, Lane and Vasquez. Got to see Miguel Sano take fielding drills with the New Britain squad. BJ Hermsen was in that group as well, as were Josmil Pinto and Matt Koch. Pinto is not a surprise to start at AA, but if Koch stays there. it will be a pretty big surprise. Likely he is filling for Dan Rohlfing who is with the big boys still. Over at the A and lower field, there were major pitching drills going on. Kennys Vargas was on the field at first during those drills, and I would swear that he looks even bigger this season. Speaking of pitching drills, back at the big league camp, there was a pretty large one going on this morning. Good to see that Rich Harden was actually participating, but was the only pitcher who did not throw the ball. Both Scott Diamond and Anthony Swarzak did throw the ball, btw. Speaking of Swarzak, he later pitched batting practice to the infielders who were not playing today and he shattered Brian Dozier's bat to about 6 pieces (one of which went towards Swarzak and another popped in the back of the cage; nevertheless it was a large commotion) Pretty good to see Swarzak back; he could be ready be the beginning of the season, but the Twins will put him on the DL. Speaking of bats, Dan Rohlfing, it his plate appearance before his home run, sent his flying into the crowd about 6 rows over the Twins' dugout. Large commotion but no injury and a nice souvenir. Dan Rohlfing keeps being the surprise of the Spring as far as I am concerned, because there was a guy from whom nobody expected anything at the beginning of ST and now he is on the Twins' catching prospects map. Thoughts about individual performances today: The good: Trevor Plouffe was great at the field in several chances and he had solid plate appearances. Good to see him back from his injury. Wilkin Ramirez, who went 3-3 and was hit by a pitch, will make the back up outfielder/last spot on the bench race really interesting. Solid on the plate against major leaguers. I really liked Ryan Pressly. He has an effortless delivery and can dial it up. At this point, I will be surprised if he does not make the team. The bad: Vance Worley was all over the place today. I had a chance to watch him pitch both with the Phillies and with their AAA affiliate (IronPigs, which happens to be about 10 miles away from where I life) and he is not the same guy. Not sure what's up, but it is worrisome at this point. He had a bit of success lately when he tried to mix his offerings up, but the first few innings his two seamer was very flat. He probably lost a few ticks as well, since the Hammond Stadium gun had him at 88-91 (got to subtract 2-3 for that gone.) 2 weeks left, he really needs to pick it up. Ray Olmedo was fairly shaky on the field. Bad jumps, miss-judgements and the such. I thought that he had an outside chance at a utility role, but I just do not see it now. Darin Mastroianni was not at his best either. He let a couple balls drop right in front of him for singles during Tyler Robertson's breakdown, which brings us to The ugly: Robertson was miss-matched at this game. The ball was coming off his hand flat when he was throwing the sinker that topped at 88 (with that gun) and the Yankees' AAA squad hit it like it. His breaking ball was good, but if the fastball is not there, he will not survive. I will be surprised if he is not one of the next cuts. Several scouts at the game (look at the following picture) and not sure who they were scouting. Among them the Twins' First Scout who watched the game with a stopwatch on his left hand and a scouting book the size of Gutenberg's Bible on his lap. Tomorrow I will be at Port Charlotte watching the Twins visit the Rays' home park. First time at that ballpark for me and I look forward to it. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8581525526_989538dda9_b.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8580423363_6c30958803_c.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- I am officially at Fort Myers, where I will be through Monday, attending Twins' games and checking on the minor leaguers. Unlike last season, when I pretty much presented a photo diary with 20+ images a day and some commentary, this season I will be doing something different: I will be presenting some of my observations and thoughts during the day on both major and minor leaguers, as well as other Spring Training-related items. Of course, I will add a few pictures on each post. I will probably make a couple of picture posts after next week, maybe as a Spring Training retrospect of sorts (since I am taking a ton of pictures this season.) Today the Twins hosted the Yankees at Hammond Stadium and the AAA team hosted the Red Sox' AAA team on field number 1. Here are my daily thoughts and observations: Happy to be part of the biggest home Spring Training crowd ever for the Twins: a record 8366 people attended the game at Hammond Stadium and it showed it. Standing room only and even that was sold out before the game. Speaking of Hammond Stadium, some pretty interesting additions to the ballpark menu include deep fried cheese curds and calamari fingers (both of them at the "party deck" area at short right field.) For what is worth: Alex Meyer, Evan Bigley and Oswaldo Arcia were practicing with the Rochester group this morning. Speaking of Rochester, I was not really impressed with 3 of the pitching newcomers: Elarton, Lane and Vasquez. Got to see Miguel Sano take fielding drills with the New Britain squad. BJ Hermsen was in that group as well, as were Josmil Pinto and Matt Koch. Pinto is not a surprise to start at AA, but if Koch stays there. it will be a pretty big surprise. Likely he is filling for Dan Rohlfing who is with the big boys still. Over at the A and lower field, there were major pitching drills going on. Kennys Vargas was on the field at first during those drills, and I would swear that he looks even bigger this season. Speaking of pitching drills, back at the big league camp, there was a pretty large one going on this morning. Good to see that Rich Harden was actually participating, but was the only pitcher who did not throw the ball. Both Scott Diamond and Anthony Swarzak did throw the ball, btw. Speaking of Swarzak, he later pitched batting practice to the infielders who were not playing today and he shattered Brian Dozier's bat to about 6 pieces (one of which went towards Swarzak and another popped in the back of the cage; nevertheless it was a large commotion) Pretty good to see Swarzak back; he could be ready be the beginning of the season, but the Twins will put him on the DL. Speaking of bats, Dan Rohlfing, it his plate appearance before his home run, sent his flying into the crowd about 6 rows over the Twins' dugout. Large commotion but no injury and a nice souvenir. Dan Rohlfing keeps being the surprise of the Spring as far as I am concerned, because there was a guy from whom nobody expected anything at the beginning of ST and now he is on the Twins' catching prospects map. Thoughts about individual performances today: The good: Trevor Plouffe was great at the field in several chances and he had solid plate appearances. Good to see him back from his injury. Wilkin Ramirez, who went 3-3 and was hit by a pitch, will make the back up outfielder/last spot on the bench race really interesting. Solid on the plate against major leaguers. I really liked Ryan Pressly. He has an effortless delivery and can dial it up. At this point, I will be surprised if he does not make the team. The bad: Vance Worley was all over the place today. I had a chance to watch him pitch both with the Phillies and with their AAA affiliate (IronPigs, which happens to be about 10 miles away from where I life) and he is not the same guy. Not sure what's up, but it is worrisome at this point. He had a bit of success lately when he tried to mix his offerings up, but the first few innings his two seamer was very flat. He probably lost a few ticks as well, since the Hammond Stadium gun had him at 88-91 (got to subtract 2-3 for that gone.) 2 weeks left, he really needs to pick it up. Ray Olmedo was fairly shaky on the field. Bad jumps, miss-judgements and the such. I thought that he had an outside chance at a utility role, but I just do not see it now. Darin Mastroianni was not at his best either. He let a couple balls drop right in front of him for singles during Tyler Robertson's breakdown, which brings us to The ugly: Robertson was miss-matched at this game. The ball was coming off his hand flat when he was throwing the sinker that topped at 88 (with that gun) and the Yankees' AAA squad hit it like it. His breaking ball was good, but if the fastball is not there, he will not survive. I will be surprised if he is not one of the next cuts. Several scouts at the game (look at the following picture) and not sure who they were scouting. Among them the Twins' First Scout who watched the game with a stopwatch on his left hand and a scouting book the size of Gutenberg's Bible on his lap. Tomorrow I will be at Port Charlotte watching the Twins visit the Rays' home park. First time at that ballpark for me and I look forward to it. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8581525526_989538dda9_b.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8580423363_6c30958803_c.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (where the graphics are better for some reason) ---- t is already almost a month into Spring Training games for the Twins, and it is time for the second version of the dashboards. You can find all 2013 Spring Training dashboards here, for reference. Again, you can find explanations of the measures and the colors of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles in these two links. The dashboard includes today's game against the Pirates. I indicate the players who were cut in italics and the day they were cut by the MiLB indication. This is the last time these dashboards will have dates, because they are getting too long. Next edition will have them compressed and only the active combatants will be listed. In addition, WBC game results are included for the relevent players (Beresford, Butera, Colabello, Deduno) This is it. The final 2.5 week of Spring Training where competition gets better and battles get fiercer. I will be in Florida and Fort Myers for the largest part of the next two weeks, so expect some exclusive coverage on the Twins major and minor leaguers from the Spring Training site. Here is the position player dashboard: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8563335192_2ef915d347_c.jpg Few Observations: Aaron Hicks has won the CF starting job; whether the Twins' brass let him have it, is it still up for grabs Aaron Hicks has taken the lead for the Center Field starter position The other 2 OF positions (RF and bench) are still wide open, with Darin Mastroianni returning strong from his hamstring injury and Wilkin Ramirez performing consistently well and steadily leading Chris Parmelee who improved a bit but still trailing. The infield battle and the bench battles are wide open. Butera, Colabello and Olmedo have been sightly better than the rest and all three would be potentially battling for that last roster spot. Here is the pitcher dashboard: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8563335060_24de8c406a_c.jpg Few Observations: Cole DeVries , Samuel Dedouno, PJ. Walters and Pedro Hernandez are all making a case for the one or two starting positions open, while Liam Hendriks is trailing pretty badly. Of these pitchers, the ones who do not make the rotation, still will have a chance for a long reliever position. Alex Burnett has not had a single good appearance this spring and I just cannot see how he can make the team if he does not change this pretty quickly. Tyler Robertson have turned it around this week with several good appearances and after the cuts is the only lefty reliever left (other than the locks Duensing and Perkins) Ryan Pressly and Tim Wood (other than a single horrible game) have been good and I think they have one foot in the opening day roster. Josh Roenicke, Luis Perdomo and Casey Fien had ups and downs,and all are probably fighting for the last bullpen spot.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (where the graphics are better for some reason) ---- t is already almost a month into Spring Training games for the Twins, and it is time for the second version of the dashboards. You can find all 2013 Spring Training dashboards here, for reference. Again, you can find explanations of the measures and the colors of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles in these two links. The dashboard includes today's game against the Pirates. I indicate the players who were cut in italics and the day they were cut by the MiLB indication. This is the last time these dashboards will have dates, because they are getting too long. Next edition will have them compressed and only the active combatants will be listed. In addition, WBC game results are included for the relevent players (Beresford, Butera, Colabello, Deduno) This is it. The final 2.5 week of Spring Training where competition gets better and battles get fiercer. I will be in Florida and Fort Myers for the largest part of the next two weeks, so expect some exclusive coverage on the Twins major and minor leaguers from the Spring Training site. Here is the position player dashboard: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8563335192_2ef915d347_c.jpg Few Observations: Aaron Hicks has won the CF starting job; whether the Twins' brass let him have it, is it still up for grabs Aaron Hicks has taken the lead for the Center Field starter position The other 2 OF positions (RF and bench) are still wide open, with Darin Mastroianni returning strong from his hamstring injury and Wilkin Ramirez performing consistently well and steadily leading Chris Parmelee who improved a bit but still trailing. The infield battle and the bench battles are wide open. Butera, Colabello and Olmedo have been sightly better than the rest and all three would be potentially battling for that last roster spot. Here is the pitcher dashboard: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8563335060_24de8c406a_c.jpg Few Observations: Cole DeVries , Samuel Dedouno, PJ. Walters and Pedro Hernandez are all making a case for the one or two starting positions open, while Liam Hendriks is trailing pretty badly. Of these pitchers, the ones who do not make the rotation, still will have a chance for a long reliever position. Alex Burnett has not had a single good appearance this spring and I just cannot see how he can make the team if he does not change this pretty quickly. Tyler Robertson have turned it around this week with several good appearances and after the cuts is the only lefty reliever left (other than the locks Duensing and Perkins) Ryan Pressly and Tim Wood (other than a single horrible game) have been good and I think they have one foot in the opening day roster. Josh Roenicke, Luis Perdomo and Casey Fien had ups and downs,and all are probably fighting for the last bullpen spot.

I hope he really turns it around, because other than that September cup of coffee in 2011, he has not done much at the MLB-level to deserve a position on the 25-man roster, and much more a starting job. He still has to show that he is not the next Shane Spencer... (at least to me.) I'd love to see what Arcia can do and I suspect the same with the MLB staff, so, if he get cut, he would probably be one of the last cuts. He was pretty bad today, so I don't know how healthy he is, but I would love it if he wins the RF job. Again, I have nothing against Parmelee, but he just has not shown that he belongs. Add the fact that his defense is suited more to the DH position (his OF play is worse than Kubel's who was a DH) and ....

They would be doing fine Plouffe too. Carroll would be doing ok, Doumit not so much

3/11 is Monday Time flies. I think that I would probably count 1 C per 5 Ps or so, so if they send down 5, will probably send down a C. May and Meyer have allegedly been practicing with the minor league teams. I will be able to tell in 2 weeks when I am there.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (with the full size images; for some reason hard to reproduce here) ---- It is already two weeks into Spring Training games for the Twins, so it is time for the second version of the dashboards. You can find all 2013 Spring Training dashboards here, for reference. Again, you can find explanations of the measures and the colors of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles in these two links. The dashboard includes last night's game. Here is the position player dashboard (click on images for full size) : http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8541430133_5ee805190b_c.jpg Few Observations: Aaron Hicks and Eddie Rosario have been given many accolades, but for me the surprise of Spring Training for the Twins so far has been Danny Rohlfing, the Twins' 23 year old AA catcher who for all practical purposes has been regarded as organizational depth. However, with his performance in front of the Twins' brass, added to his excellent defense at catcher and versatility (can play 1B and OF as well), he has to be into the conversation regarding Twins' Catcher prospects Aaron Hicks has taken the lead for the Center Field starter position The other 2 OF positions (RF and bench) are wide open, with Darin Mastroianni returning today from a hamstring injury-caused week's hiatus and Wilkin Ramirez performing consistently well and steadily leading Chris Parmelee who really has not found himself and is also ailing. I would not be surprised if Parmelee started the season in AAA. The infield battle and the bench battles are wide open. None of the infielders fighting for the 2 positions has been ahead of the pack at this time. Here is the pitcher dashboard: [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=align: center]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8542528566_1c3a0dce45_c.jpg[/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center][/TD] [/TABLE] Few Observations: He is starting today again, but Cole DeVries has been pretty consistent and effective as a starter so far, and I think that he is on his way to earn either a starter or the long reliever position, depending on other pitcher's health Speaking of health, despite what it has been reported, I will be surprised if Anthony Swarzak, Rafael Perez and Scott Diamond start the season in Minnesota on April fools' PJ Walters' performance has been pretty steady as well, but unlike DeVries, he has been used as a reliever and been facing lesser competition. He still has possibilities for a pen or even a starting role, based on health Kyle Gibson has had ups and one horrible game. The jury is still out. Alex Burnett and Tyler Robertson have been as disappointing on the pitching side as Chris Parmelee on the position player side. I would not be surprised if they started the season in AAA. Ryan Pressly, the Twins' Rule 5 pick has been the most consistent reliever; other than a horrid game, Tim Wood has been great; Mike Tonkin has been surprising good and Josh Roenicke had ups and downs, but he has been trending up. Could these four pitchers win the four bullpen spots? Time will tell, but it will be a huge surprise if Tonkin does, since the highest level of play he saw has been a half season at Fort Myers with the Miracle. The next version will be after the cuts. Speaking of the cuts, I think that: Bryan Augenstein, BJ Hermsen, Trevor May and Alex Meyer from the pitchers and Kyle Knudson and maybe James Beresford might be it for position players. The World Baseball Classic has decimated the numbers of the Twins position players available,make it hard to field 2 teams in split squad games, so I do not foresee many position player cuts before other Twins return from the WBC.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (with the full size images; for some reason hard to reproduce here) ---- It is already two weeks into Spring Training games for the Twins, so it is time for the second version of the dashboards. You can find all 2013 Spring Training dashboards here, for reference. Again, you can find explanations of the measures and the colors of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles in these two links. The dashboard includes last night's game. Here is the position player dashboard (click on images for full size) : http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8541430133_5ee805190b_c.jpg Few Observations: Aaron Hicks and Eddie Rosario have been given many accolades, but for me the surprise of Spring Training for the Twins so far has been Danny Rohlfing, the Twins' 23 year old AA catcher who for all practical purposes has been regarded as organizational depth. However, with his performance in front of the Twins' brass, added to his excellent defense at catcher and versatility (can play 1B and OF as well), he has to be into the conversation regarding Twins' Catcher prospects Aaron Hicks has taken the lead for the Center Field starter position The other 2 OF positions (RF and bench) are wide open, with Darin Mastroianni returning today from a hamstring injury-caused week's hiatus and Wilkin Ramirez performing consistently well and steadily leading Chris Parmelee who really has not found himself and is also ailing. I would not be surprised if Parmelee started the season in AAA. The infield battle and the bench battles are wide open. None of the infielders fighting for the 2 positions has been ahead of the pack at this time. Here is the pitcher dashboard: [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=align: center]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8542528566_1c3a0dce45_c.jpg[/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center][/TD] [/TABLE] Few Observations: He is starting today again, but Cole DeVries has been pretty consistent and effective as a starter so far, and I think that he is on his way to earn either a starter or the long reliever position, depending on other pitcher's health Speaking of health, despite what it has been reported, I will be surprised if Anthony Swarzak, Rafael Perez and Scott Diamond start the season in Minnesota on April fools' PJ Walters' performance has been pretty steady as well, but unlike DeVries, he has been used as a reliever and been facing lesser competition. He still has possibilities for a pen or even a starting role, based on health Kyle Gibson has had ups and one horrible game. The jury is still out. Alex Burnett and Tyler Robertson have been as disappointing on the pitching side as Chris Parmelee on the position player side. I would not be surprised if they started the season in AAA. Ryan Pressly, the Twins' Rule 5 pick has been the most consistent reliever; other than a horrid game, Tim Wood has been great; Mike Tonkin has been surprising good and Josh Roenicke had ups and downs, but he has been trending up. Could these four pitchers win the four bullpen spots? Time will tell, but it will be a huge surprise if Tonkin does, since the highest level of play he saw has been a half season at Fort Myers with the Miracle. The next version will be after the cuts. Speaking of the cuts, I think that: Bryan Augenstein, BJ Hermsen, Trevor May and Alex Meyer from the pitchers and Kyle Knudson and maybe James Beresford might be it for position players. The World Baseball Classic has decimated the numbers of the Twins position players available,make it hard to field 2 teams in split squad games, so I do not foresee many position player cuts before other Twins return from the WBC.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (and with a little better colors) ---- With the Twins' Spring Training about half a month old and eight official games in the books, it is about time that I start posting these dashboards again keeping track of how the players who are batting for positions are doing. It might seem that Spring Training has been going on for a while, and it has because of the World Baseball Classic. For comparison, last year the first Twins' game of Spring Training was March 3rd. I have previously outlined the potential battles for position players as: 3 outfield positions, including a back up 2 infield positions, including a back up 1 additional bench bat that would be a third Catcher (Mr Butera for example) or a bat off the bench/DH (like Chris Colabello) or an additional infielder or outfielder. Also indicated that I consider the following players as locks (so I am not tracking them) : Jamey Carroll Ryan Doumit Joe Mauer Justin Morneau Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham and in the same piece, I indicated that the battles for pitchers were for one to three starting positions (depending on Scott Diamond's and Mike Pelfrey's health) and at least four bullpen spots; I consider as locks here (thus not tracked), in addition to the 2 aforementioned if healthy: Kevin Correia Vance Worley Jared Burton Brian Duensing Glen Perkins The ideas behind the mechanics of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles is explained in these two links. For the pitchers, I quantify using a measurement created by Bill James more than a decade ago called " Game Score". It is calculated as follows: You start with 50 points for each pitcher. Add 1 point for each out. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit. Subtract 4 points for each earned run. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run. Subtract 1 point for each walk. There is a point bonus for pitching more than 4 innings as well, adding 2 points for each IP after the 4th, but this is not too applicable here. Game Scored of 49-51 are "average" (yellow), everything higher than 51 "above average" (green), and everything below 49 "below average" (red). The pitchers are broken down as "starters" and "relievers" but it is understandable that starters are candidates to make the teams as relievers. For position players, I devised a similar metric that goes like this: Start with 0 points (unlike the pitching Game Score that starts with 50) Add 1 point for each Run, RBI, 2B, SB, BB, and HBP recorded. Add 2.5 for each hit, 3 for each 3B and 4 for each HR. Subtract 1 for each CS and GIDP, subtract 1 for each error, for catchers add 1 for each CS Subtract 0.2 for each SO and 0.5 for each AB. Again, as in the Pitching Battle Dashboard, the Position Player Battle Dashboard is color-coded based on average, above average and below average performances, where: Average is Batting Game Score between 0 and 2 Above average is Batting Game Score higher than 2 Below average is Batting Game Score less than 0 Without further ado (and no comments) here is the Dashboard for the Twins' position players: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8521721103_89878f7309_z.jpg and here for the pitchers: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8522833028_778a7eb763_z.jpg There is still many games to be played and these will be changing in pretty much daily basis. I will publish the next installment in few days.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch (and with a little better colors) ---- With the Twins' Spring Training about half a month old and eight official games in the books, it is about time that I start posting these dashboards again keeping track of how the players who are batting for positions are doing. It might seem that Spring Training has been going on for a while, and it has because of the World Baseball Classic. For comparison, last year the first Twins' game of Spring Training was March 3rd. I have previously outlined the potential battles for position players as: 3 outfield positions, including a back up 2 infield positions, including a back up 1 additional bench bat that would be a third Catcher (Mr Butera for example) or a bat off the bench/DH (like Chris Colabello) or an additional infielder or outfielder. Also indicated that I consider the following players as locks (so I am not tracking them) : Jamey Carroll Ryan Doumit Joe Mauer Justin Morneau Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham and in the same piece, I indicated that the battles for pitchers were for one to three starting positions (depending on Scott Diamond's and Mike Pelfrey's health) and at least four bullpen spots; I consider as locks here (thus not tracked), in addition to the 2 aforementioned if healthy: Kevin Correia Vance Worley Jared Burton Brian Duensing Glen Perkins The ideas behind the mechanics of the dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatants in both the position player and pitching battles is explained in these two links. For the pitchers, I quantify using a measurement created by Bill James more than a decade ago called " Game Score". It is calculated as follows: You start with 50 points for each pitcher. Add 1 point for each out. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit. Subtract 4 points for each earned run. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run. Subtract 1 point for each walk. There is a point bonus for pitching more than 4 innings as well, adding 2 points for each IP after the 4th, but this is not too applicable here. Game Scored of 49-51 are "average" (yellow), everything higher than 51 "above average" (green), and everything below 49 "below average" (red). The pitchers are broken down as "starters" and "relievers" but it is understandable that starters are candidates to make the teams as relievers. For position players, I devised a similar metric that goes like this: Start with 0 points (unlike the pitching Game Score that starts with 50) Add 1 point for each Run, RBI, 2B, SB, BB, and HBP recorded. Add 2.5 for each hit, 3 for each 3B and 4 for each HR. Subtract 1 for each CS and GIDP, subtract 1 for each error, for catchers add 1 for each CS Subtract 0.2 for each SO and 0.5 for each AB. Again, as in the Pitching Battle Dashboard, the Position Player Battle Dashboard is color-coded based on average, above average and below average performances, where: Average is Batting Game Score between 0 and 2 Above average is Batting Game Score higher than 2 Below average is Batting Game Score less than 0 Without further ado (and no comments) here is the Dashboard for the Twins' position players: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8521721103_89878f7309_z.jpg and here for the pitchers: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8522833028_778a7eb763_z.jpg There is still many games to be played and these will be changing in pretty much daily basis. I will publish the next installment in few days.

A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period — When March is scarcely here -Emily Dickinson Spring Training time is one of my favorite baseball times during the season (or is it "off-season", or "pre-season"?)This is the time where all the teams have the same record and all 60 players or so who are invited in the Major League camp hope that they will be part of the major league roster. Some positions in the Twins' 25-man roster are chiseled in marble; however some are written in pensil, and some others are wide open for the taking. Last season, I used dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatands in both the position player and pitching battles. I am planning on doing the same this Spring training, but before starting quantifying, I'd like to qualify and see what potential battles there might this Spring. Position Players (13) The following six players (barring injuries and late trades) are locks to stay in the Twins' 25-man roster (all lists alphabetically) : Jamey Carroll Ryan Doumit Joe Mauer Justin Morneau Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham. Drew Butera Darin Mastroianni and Chris Parmelee are penciled in and only a horrible appearance might derail them coming up North, but they are not 100% locks (they are in the 80% range)so I will keep track of their performance. The potential battles in the Twins' 2013 Spring Training as far as position players go are for the following seven positions: 3 outfield positions, including a back up 2 infield positions, including a back up and one additional bench bat that would be a third Catcher (Mr Butera for example) or a bat off the bench/DH (like Chris Colabello) or an additional infielder or outfielder. Pitchers (12) I do assume that the Twins will take 13 position players and 12 pitchers; however, potentially they will forgo the bench bat or the third catcher and go with 13 pitchers. Time will tell. The following two starters and three relievers are pretty much locks: Kevin Correia Vance Worley Jared Burton Brian Duensing Glen Perkins The following two starters are locks, other than the fact that might not be ready: Scott Diamond Mike Pelfrey So there are battles from one to three starting positions and at least four bullpen spots. Potentially up to seven position player and seven pitcher spots on the 2013 Opening Day Twins 25-man roster will be decided this Spring, which is more than in the recent seasons, at least on paper... Interesting times indeed and sure to make this Spring more fun to watch closely. http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6110/6869531954_7acab45c41_z.jpg

A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period — When March is scarcely here -Emily Dickinson Spring Training time is one of my favorite baseball times during the season (or is it "off-season", or "pre-season"?)This is the time where all the teams have the same record and all 60 players or so who are invited in the Major League camp hope that they will be part of the major league roster. Some positions in the Twins' 25-man roster are chiseled in marble; however some are written in pensil, and some others are wide open for the taking. Last season, I used dashboards to quantify Spring Training performance of the combatands in both the position player and pitching battles. I am planning on doing the same this Spring training, but before starting quantifying, I'd like to qualify and see what potential battles there might this Spring. Position Players (13) The following six players (barring injuries and late trades) are locks to stay in the Twins' 25-man roster (all lists alphabetically) : Jamey Carroll Ryan Doumit Joe Mauer Justin Morneau Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham. Drew Butera Darin Mastroianni and Chris Parmelee are penciled in and only a horrible appearance might derail them coming up North, but they are not 100% locks (they are in the 80% range)so I will keep track of their performance. The potential battles in the Twins' 2013 Spring Training as far as position players go are for the following seven positions: 3 outfield positions, including a back up 2 infield positions, including a back up and one additional bench bat that would be a third Catcher (Mr Butera for example) or a bat off the bench/DH (like Chris Colabello) or an additional infielder or outfielder. Pitchers (12) I do assume that the Twins will take 13 position players and 12 pitchers; however, potentially they will forgo the bench bat or the third catcher and go with 13 pitchers. Time will tell. The following two starters and three relievers are pretty much locks: Kevin Correia Vance Worley Jared Burton Brian Duensing Glen Perkins The following two starters are locks, other than the fact that might not be ready: Scott Diamond Mike Pelfrey So there are battles from one to three starting positions and at least four bullpen spots. Potentially up to seven position player and seven pitcher spots on the 2013 Opening Day Twins 25-man roster will be decided this Spring, which is more than in the recent seasons, at least on paper... Interesting times indeed and sure to make this Spring more fun to watch closely. http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6110/6869531954_7acab45c41_z.jpg

Summer? Will be pretty hot and humid then Will try to get to some Miracle games this summer too, especially with this foreseeable roster. Would be fun. About this guide, if one is a serious carnivore and has to have meat LEN3's guide is a must read.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- This is my second annual food guide to Fort Myers and the third and last in the series of the 2013 Guides to Fort Myers that include the logistics guide and the baseball guide. The first was more of a culinary guide, pointing out what are the local foods, and pointing out places you can sample them. That guide is still very relevant and you can find it here. This one is a little different than last year's. It is a more traditional restaurant guide. La Velle Neal has been publishing restaurant guides to Fort Myers on pretty much annual basis now (you can find his 2012 guide here) This guide by no means try to compete with La Velle's. And LEN3 and I come from different food perspectives and biases: I do not eat red meat or fowl, so you shall not see any barbeque places, steakhouses or smokehouses here because I do not go to those places usually. I do eat seafood, so there is a lot of this listed here. The other thing I am doing, is trying to keep the list to places that are close to Hammond Stadium and the Twins' training complex. Usually, when I am there, I have breakfast at my hotel, then at the ballparks until after the game is done and then out for dinner. I usually have "lunch" at the ballpark. And at the end, if you care to read that long, I will list the Twins' players 2 favorite hangouts. This guide is broken down by restaurant type. American: Clancy's 11481 McGregor Blvd - Ft. Myers, FL (http://www.clanceysrestaurant.com/) Typical american fair. Solid food and good prices. Lots of sandwiches as well. One of the few places you can actually have Triggerfish (by name). Try it, you'd like it. Lots of big burgers as well. Fancy's Southern Cafe 8890 Salrose Lane, Fort Myers, FL (http://fancyssoutherncafe.com/) True southern comfort food. Excellent shrimp and grits, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and deep fried cheese grits. And a slew of other Southern comfort food specials. This place has something for everyone and really worth a visit. Good prices too. The Veranda. 2122 2nd St, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.verandarestaurant.com/). Exactly what you will expect from an American/Continental dinning place with southern influences in Florida. Great cuisine, huge entrees, semi-formal atmosphere and prices in the $30s unless you go the tapas way, chosing from a variety of their apperizers. Blue Crab Cake, Southern Grit Cakes, Pan seared Scallops and Artichoke Fritters (all around $10) highly recommended from the appetizer menu. You cannot go wrong with any entree item, but it is a lot of food. Latin American: El Patio Restaurant 4444 Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL Peruvian. And if you have never had Peruvian food, this restaurant will be a good exuse to try. Awesome variety and prices (most entrees are under $10) and great flavor. This is the real deal. Try the seafood ceviche or one of the surf and turf mixes. El Gaucho Inca 4391 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.elgauchoinca.com/) "Peruvian, Argentinan and Italian" food. Fancy Tango and dancing shows during dinner, the food is pretty interesting, if you like meat. If you don't there are better choices. The "Italian" part is because they serve pasta dishes. Nothing Italian to them. Stay away from those. The Argentinean dishes are pretty authentic, but the Peruvian derived... Super Tacos 535 Pine Island Road, (North) Fort Myers, FL (http://supertacos.net/) This is kind of far from the ballpark, but it is the best Mexican food place in Fort Myers, and this is why it is here. Fresh fresh ingredients, large portions and great prices. Their fish tacos are some of the best and at $2.99 per, an incredible value. A variety of fairly authentic Mexican fare. Asian: Daruma Japanese Steak House (http://www.darumarestaurant.com/) 13499 S Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL . Pretty solid but expensive Japanese fare. On the Teppanyaki side of the house there is a great variety and great flavor. Sushi is good, if overimaginative. Kind of americanized flavors, but this is true of most asian places these days. A ton of Teppan combinations, something for everyone. Large wine and cocktail list. Try the Oysters Tempura appetizer. Total Japanese/Southern fusion. Mr. Mees 5100 S. Cleveland Ave. Ft. Myers, FL (http://www.mrmees.com/index.htm). Pan-Asian food (Japanese, Korean, Thai) and sushi. By far my favorite Asian food place in Fort Myers. Authentic Thai and Korean dishes and excellent sushi. Try the Bi Bim Bop (they make it vegetarian or with a fried egg, if you ask) or any of the Yum dishes. Both of the Bin Daduk dishes (pork & kimchee or seafood) are excellent appetizers. Osaka 16078 San Carlos Blvd. For Myers, FL (http://osakafortmyers.com/index.html) The name is kind of misleading. It in a Thai place that also offers Japanese and Sushi (because Japanese and sushi are popular these days.) Their Thai food is excellent. Try any of the Yum or the noodle dishes. Sushi and soups are good also. A vast list of appetizers, can make this a good tapas/dim sum dinner place. European/Mediterranean/French: Blue Windows French Bistro. 15250 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.mybluewindows.com/) Fine French Bistro Food. Four course Prix Fixe menu that changes nightly based on best available local foods for about $50 a person. Also offers a variety of tasting menus and wine pairings. Traditional a la carte continental French courses as well. Extensive wine list. Best place to burn $200 for a dinner for 2 in Fort Myers. On the other hand, that $200 is about 8 Twins' tickets. Priorities. Cibo 12901 Mcgregor Blvd, Ste 17, Fort Myers, FL (http://cibofortmyers.com/) Upscale Italian. Extensive Wine list. Extensive Antipasto list. You can potentially have a great traditional Italian meal or an excellent Tapas dinner. Sasse's 3651 Evans Avenue Fort Myers, FL (http://www.sassesfortmyers.com/) Italian with continental flair. Menu changes based on seasonal availability. Mid-priced, even offers things like Pizza. Gluten-free menu on request. Their fish/seafood soup is awesome, if you like fish of course. Seafood: Pawnbroker 13451 - 16 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.prawnbroker.com/) Same Strip Mall as Blu Sushi (which will be listed later). Fresh seafood and a seafood counter selling fresh seafood next to it. Bit old fashion but good traditional seafood. This is the kind of place that your grandma will take you and your significant other out. And that happens a lot in that place. Food is really really fresh, so enjoy. You might have to overlook the fact that you are the youngest person in the place. Even if you are in your 40s. Maria's Old Florida Restaurant; 17979 San Carlos Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL Listed as seafood here, but it really is a Creole (and some Cajun) fusion restaurant that incorporates a lot of seafood in their dishes. Interesting dishes like Cajun Shepard's Pie and Crawfish Enchiladas. Clam Bake 16520 S Tamiami Trl Ste 10, Fort Myers, FL (http://clambakefortmyers.com/) "Authentic New England Seafood". Hole in the wall place, family operated by former Rhode Islanders. They feature a variety of New England seafood like Stuffed Quahog, Clam Bakes, fried Oysters, Clams, Scallops and Shrimp, Clam Chowder, Steamed Lobster and a whole bunch of seafood sandwiches including Lobster Roll. Informal, inexpensive and great food. Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill, 13499 SE Cleveland Ave Suite 141, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.bluepointerestaurant.com/). Traditional upscale great seafood place. Fresh seafood, great preparations. Grab one of the fish in the fish of the day list and get it prepared your way and you will do no wrong. Extensive wine and raw bar list. You know those seafood places that have that "steakhouse feel"? This is one of them. If this is your style, this one is a winner. My only complaint (and this is nitpicking) is that they do not use lots of local fish, but prefer northern fish. 3 Fishermen Seafood 5100 S. Cleveland Ave. Ft. Myers, FL (same strip mall as Mr. Mees - actually a couple doors down.) (http://www.threefishermenseafood.com/) casual, inexpensive and great food. A Tip: Even if there is not in the menu (they have it as one of their rotating specials), ask for grilled grouper tacos. You will not regret it. Big enough to fit two or a hungry teenager. Great shimp dishes and their signature is the Captain Paul’s Grouper. Great smoked fish dip as well. I really like this place. Local Hangouts: CRaVE: 12901 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL (http://cravemenu.com/) not to be confused with the American Bistro chain with the same name. Fresh, local and organic food. Bistro feel. Great appetizers and well known for their sandwiches and salads. Lots of interesting takes on confort food like Meatloaf, Shepherd's Pie, Pot Roast and Pot Pie. Great Omelets for breakfast. Two Meatballs in the Kitchen. 8890 Salrose Ln Fort Myers, FL (http://www.2meatballs.com/) Typical Northeast Italian Food and Pizza. Plentiful sizes, huge variety, usually packed. Part of a local trifecto of restaurants that includes Taste of New York and Bella Rosa, the Two Meatballs is the most casual and busy of the 3. If you crave Northeast italian-american food, this is your place. Pincher's Crab Shack 15271 McGregor Boulevard Fort Myers, FL (http://www.pincherscrabshack.com/) Seafood but I am listing it here because this place rocks on happy hour. Indoor-outdoor seating, great fresh food, very good beer list and lots of mixed drinks. Grouper tacos are really awesome here. Very close to the ballpark as well. Chains of note: Bahama Breeze: 14701 S Tamiami Trl, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.bahamabreeze.com/) Caribbean-inspired food. Large variety of appetizers and small plates. Go for the fresh fish and make sure that it is something that exists in FL, like Grouper or Snapper, otherwise pass on the Mahi and farmed Salmon. Bunch of cocktails too. It's ok, nothing spectacular, but interesting variety of food. Lots of rum-based drinks, if you are into that kind of thing. Cantina Laredo 5200 Big Pine Way, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.cantinalaredo.com/) Their Motto is "Modern Mexican" and that it is. And it has solid food. But expensive food. Tex Mex and flavorful. Lots of people love it. For me it is to Mexican what PF Chang's (which is also in Fort Myers, I think) is to Chinese. Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria. 13499 S Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL (http://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/) As close to authentic New York style pizza as you can get in Florida because it started in Brooklyn. Small chain. Definitely worth a look if you are into pizza. Simple, traditional, nothing fusion here. Sweet Tomatoes: 14080 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.souplantation.com/) Soup, Pasta and Salad bar. Fresh budget food with a lot of choices. Pizza Fusion 12901 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL (http://pizzafusion.com/) This is the exact opposite of Grimaldi's. Organic crusts, organic toppings, interesting varieties and pizzas that look like flat breads (long and skinny.) Great flavors. Try the pear and gorgonzola, if you look for something different. The best places to rub shoulders with Twins' major and minor leaguers: As far as young single major leaguers and AAA players (like Luke Hughes, Danny Valencia, Drew Butera etc last season) and bonus-babies go, it is Blu Sushi 13451 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL (http://www.blusushi.com/). Overimaginitive Sushi and Martini menu, really caters to the 20-something crowd. Fresh and flavorful. And Hip Crowd. As far as older players with families and younger minor leaguers go, it is Patinella's Chicken Grill 6810 Shoppes At Plantation Dr Fort Myers, FL (http://www.patinellaschickengrill.com/) or "The Chicken Grill" on Plantation Shoppes Drive. They offer grilled cut chicken on rice bowls with a bunch of veggies in different flavors or flatbread sandwiches. Pretty healthy fare for ballplayers. A note about beer and wine: In Florida beer and wine can be sold in places like gas stations and grocery stores. Most drug stores have adjunct liquer stores that sell the aforementioned plus liquor. The best beer variety is in grocery stores, and from those Publix tends to have more microbrews than the others. Because of the competition, the prices are fairly good, on the $7-10 range for a microbrew six pack. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Takoyaki_by_yomi955.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- This is my second annual food guide to Fort Myers and the third and last in the series of the 2013 Guides to Fort Myers that include the logistics guide and the baseball guide. The first was more of a culinary guide, pointing out what are the local foods, and pointing out places you can sample them. That guide is still very relevant and you can find it here. This one is a little different than last year's. It is a more traditional restaurant guide. La Velle Neal has been publishing restaurant guides to Fort Myers on pretty much annual basis now (you can find his 2012 guide here) This guide by no means try to compete with La Velle's. And LEN3 and I come from different food perspectives and biases: I do not eat red meat or fowl, so you shall not see any barbeque places, steakhouses or smokehouses here because I do not go to those places usually. I do eat seafood, so there is a lot of this listed here. The other thing I am doing, is trying to keep the list to places that are close to Hammond Stadium and the Twins' training complex. Usually, when I am there, I have breakfast at my hotel, then at the ballparks until after the game is done and then out for dinner. I usually have "lunch" at the ballpark. And at the end, if you care to read that long, I will list the Twins' players 2 favorite hangouts. This guide is broken down by restaurant type. American: Clancy's 11481 McGregor Blvd - Ft. Myers, FL (http://www.clanceysrestaurant.com/) Typical american fair. Solid food and good prices. Lots of sandwiches as well. One of the few places you can actually have Triggerfish (by name). Try it, you'd like it. Lots of big burgers as well. Fancy's Southern Cafe 8890 Salrose Lane, Fort Myers, FL (http://fancyssoutherncafe.com/) True southern comfort food. Excellent shrimp and grits, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and deep fried cheese grits. And a slew of other Southern comfort food specials. This place has something for everyone and really worth a visit. Good prices too. The Veranda. 2122 2nd St, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.verandarestaurant.com/). Exactly what you will expect from an American/Continental dinning place with southern influences in Florida. Great cuisine, huge entrees, semi-formal atmosphere and prices in the $30s unless you go the tapas way, chosing from a variety of their apperizers. Blue Crab Cake, Southern Grit Cakes, Pan seared Scallops and Artichoke Fritters (all around $10) highly recommended from the appetizer menu. You cannot go wrong with any entree item, but it is a lot of food. Latin American: El Patio Restaurant 4444 Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL Peruvian. And if you have never had Peruvian food, this restaurant will be a good exuse to try. Awesome variety and prices (most entrees are under $10) and great flavor. This is the real deal. Try the seafood ceviche or one of the surf and turf mixes. El Gaucho Inca 4391 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.elgauchoinca.com/) "Peruvian, Argentinan and Italian" food. Fancy Tango and dancing shows during dinner, the food is pretty interesting, if you like meat. If you don't there are better choices. The "Italian" part is because they serve pasta dishes. Nothing Italian to them. Stay away from those. The Argentinean dishes are pretty authentic, but the Peruvian derived... Super Tacos 535 Pine Island Road, (North) Fort Myers, FL (http://supertacos.net/) This is kind of far from the ballpark, but it is the best Mexican food place in Fort Myers, and this is why it is here. Fresh fresh ingredients, large portions and great prices. Their fish tacos are some of the best and at $2.99 per, an incredible value. A variety of fairly authentic Mexican fare. Asian: Daruma Japanese Steak House (http://www.darumarestaurant.com/) 13499 S Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL . Pretty solid but expensive Japanese fare. On the Teppanyaki side of the house there is a great variety and great flavor. Sushi is good, if overimaginative. Kind of americanized flavors, but this is true of most asian places these days. A ton of Teppan combinations, something for everyone. Large wine and cocktail list. Try the Oysters Tempura appetizer. Total Japanese/Southern fusion. Mr. Mees 5100 S. Cleveland Ave. Ft. Myers, FL (http://www.mrmees.com/index.htm). Pan-Asian food (Japanese, Korean, Thai) and sushi. By far my favorite Asian food place in Fort Myers. Authentic Thai and Korean dishes and excellent sushi. Try the Bi Bim Bop (they make it vegetarian or with a fried egg, if you ask) or any of the Yum dishes. Both of the Bin Daduk dishes (pork & kimchee or seafood) are excellent appetizers. Osaka 16078 San Carlos Blvd. For Myers, FL (http://osakafortmyers.com/index.html) The name is kind of misleading. It in a Thai place that also offers Japanese and Sushi (because Japanese and sushi are popular these days.) Their Thai food is excellent. Try any of the Yum or the noodle dishes. Sushi and soups are good also. A vast list of appetizers, can make this a good tapas/dim sum dinner place. European/Mediterranean/French: Blue Windows French Bistro. 15250 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.mybluewindows.com/) Fine French Bistro Food. Four course Prix Fixe menu that changes nightly based on best available local foods for about $50 a person. Also offers a variety of tasting menus and wine pairings. Traditional a la carte continental French courses as well. Extensive wine list. Best place to burn $200 for a dinner for 2 in Fort Myers. On the other hand, that $200 is about 8 Twins' tickets. Priorities. Cibo 12901 Mcgregor Blvd, Ste 17, Fort Myers, FL (http://cibofortmyers.com/) Upscale Italian. Extensive Wine list. Extensive Antipasto list. You can potentially have a great traditional Italian meal or an excellent Tapas dinner. Sasse's 3651 Evans Avenue Fort Myers, FL (http://www.sassesfortmyers.com/) Italian with continental flair. Menu changes based on seasonal availability. Mid-priced, even offers things like Pizza. Gluten-free menu on request. Their fish/seafood soup is awesome, if you like fish of course. Seafood: Pawnbroker 13451 - 16 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.prawnbroker.com/) Same Strip Mall as Blu Sushi (which will be listed later). Fresh seafood and a seafood counter selling fresh seafood next to it. Bit old fashion but good traditional seafood. This is the kind of place that your grandma will take you and your significant other out. And that happens a lot in that place. Food is really really fresh, so enjoy. You might have to overlook the fact that you are the youngest person in the place. Even if you are in your 40s. Maria's Old Florida Restaurant; 17979 San Carlos Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL Listed as seafood here, but it really is a Creole (and some Cajun) fusion restaurant that incorporates a lot of seafood in their dishes. Interesting dishes like Cajun Shepard's Pie and Crawfish Enchiladas. Clam Bake 16520 S Tamiami Trl Ste 10, Fort Myers, FL (http://clambakefortmyers.com/) "Authentic New England Seafood". Hole in the wall place, family operated by former Rhode Islanders. They feature a variety of New England seafood like Stuffed Quahog, Clam Bakes, fried Oysters, Clams, Scallops and Shrimp, Clam Chowder, Steamed Lobster and a whole bunch of seafood sandwiches including Lobster Roll. Informal, inexpensive and great food. Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill, 13499 SE Cleveland Ave Suite 141, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.bluepointerestaurant.com/). Traditional upscale great seafood place. Fresh seafood, great preparations. Grab one of the fish in the fish of the day list and get it prepared your way and you will do no wrong. Extensive wine and raw bar list. You know those seafood places that have that "steakhouse feel"? This is one of them. If this is your style, this one is a winner. My only complaint (and this is nitpicking) is that they do not use lots of local fish, but prefer northern fish. 3 Fishermen Seafood 5100 S. Cleveland Ave. Ft. Myers, FL (same strip mall as Mr. Mees - actually a couple doors down.) (http://www.threefishermenseafood.com/) casual, inexpensive and great food. A Tip: Even if there is not in the menu (they have it as one of their rotating specials), ask for grilled grouper tacos. You will not regret it. Big enough to fit two or a hungry teenager. Great shimp dishes and their signature is the Captain Paul’s Grouper. Great smoked fish dip as well. I really like this place. Local Hangouts: CRaVE: 12901 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL (http://cravemenu.com/) not to be confused with the American Bistro chain with the same name. Fresh, local and organic food. Bistro feel. Great appetizers and well known for their sandwiches and salads. Lots of interesting takes on confort food like Meatloaf, Shepherd's Pie, Pot Roast and Pot Pie. Great Omelets for breakfast. Two Meatballs in the Kitchen. 8890 Salrose Ln Fort Myers, FL (http://www.2meatballs.com/) Typical Northeast Italian Food and Pizza. Plentiful sizes, huge variety, usually packed. Part of a local trifecto of restaurants that includes Taste of New York and Bella Rosa, the Two Meatballs is the most casual and busy of the 3. If you crave Northeast italian-american food, this is your place. Pincher's Crab Shack 15271 McGregor Boulevard Fort Myers, FL (http://www.pincherscrabshack.com/) Seafood but I am listing it here because this place rocks on happy hour. Indoor-outdoor seating, great fresh food, very good beer list and lots of mixed drinks. Grouper tacos are really awesome here. Very close to the ballpark as well. Chains of note: Bahama Breeze: 14701 S Tamiami Trl, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.bahamabreeze.com/) Caribbean-inspired food. Large variety of appetizers and small plates. Go for the fresh fish and make sure that it is something that exists in FL, like Grouper or Snapper, otherwise pass on the Mahi and farmed Salmon. Bunch of cocktails too. It's ok, nothing spectacular, but interesting variety of food. Lots of rum-based drinks, if you are into that kind of thing. Cantina Laredo 5200 Big Pine Way, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.cantinalaredo.com/) Their Motto is "Modern Mexican" and that it is. And it has solid food. But expensive food. Tex Mex and flavorful. Lots of people love it. For me it is to Mexican what PF Chang's (which is also in Fort Myers, I think) is to Chinese. Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria. 13499 S Cleveland Ave Fort Myers, FL (http://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/) As close to authentic New York style pizza as you can get in Florida because it started in Brooklyn. Small chain. Definitely worth a look if you are into pizza. Simple, traditional, nothing fusion here. Sweet Tomatoes: 14080 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL (http://www.souplantation.com/) Soup, Pasta and Salad bar. Fresh budget food with a lot of choices. Pizza Fusion 12901 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL (http://pizzafusion.com/) This is the exact opposite of Grimaldi's. Organic crusts, organic toppings, interesting varieties and pizzas that look like flat breads (long and skinny.) Great flavors. Try the pear and gorgonzola, if you look for something different. The best places to rub shoulders with Twins' major and minor leaguers: As far as young single major leaguers and AAA players (like Luke Hughes, Danny Valencia, Drew Butera etc last season) and bonus-babies go, it is Blu Sushi 13451 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL (http://www.blusushi.com/). Overimaginitive Sushi and Martini menu, really caters to the 20-something crowd. Fresh and flavorful. And Hip Crowd. As far as older players with families and younger minor leaguers go, it is Patinella's Chicken Grill 6810 Shoppes At Plantation Dr Fort Myers, FL (http://www.patinellaschickengrill.com/) or "The Chicken Grill" on Plantation Shoppes Drive. They offer grilled cut chicken on rice bowls with a bunch of veggies in different flavors or flatbread sandwiches. Pretty healthy fare for ballplayers. A note about beer and wine: In Florida beer and wine can be sold in places like gas stations and grocery stores. Most drug stores have adjunct liquer stores that sell the aforementioned plus liquor. The best beer variety is in grocery stores, and from those Publix tends to have more microbrews than the others. Because of the competition, the prices are fairly good, on the $7-10 range for a microbrew six pack. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Takoyaki_by_yomi955.jpg

This is kinda a pet peave of mine Innings pitched is about as meaningful stat as minutes played in basketball. It is manager's choice. Gardenhire tend to let their veterans (see Pavano) go over imaginary limits despite the number of pitches thrown, while limit the innings of rookies despite how well they are doing. Quality matters more than quantity, unless a pitcher takes himself out of the game (and they don't)

I am a huge Anthony Slama fun, and hope he makes the team out of Spring Training, but this is for Starting Pitching

Thanks. Yeah I do know the value of each level is way oversimplified. To actually try to give a proper value for each level, I would need to do some sort of regression analysis of the last 10 years or so by plugging in the numbers of all Ps and see how they did on each level relative to MLB and create an average value for each level (actually would be better if it is per league; because I suspect that the Pacific league pitchers are having a harder time than those of the International League.) That is probably the best way of doing it. But it does take time and computing power... What I am doing is a quick and dirty approximation (and easy ) Yeah. I assume that players spent about half of their time in each level. Weight would be better. Again, quick and easy Age is taken care in the equation, since axPE is a number where xPE is divided by age and multiplied by level value times 7.